Why spend more on a phone? The colorful new, high-spec Xiaomi Mi 4c costs just $205

Xiaomi has launched the Mi 4c, its latest low-cost, high-spec smartphone that will make you question spending $500 on phones from HTC, LG, or Samsung in the future. The phone costs the equivalent of just $205 at its most basic, but for that, you get a device that comes very close to matching the OnePlus 2.

The 132 gram Mi 4c isn’t an all-metal phone, it has a slim 7.8mm polycarbonate unibody that comes in various cool pastel colors, from yellow to pink to blue. The screen measures 5-inches and has a 1080p resolution. Xiaomi says the displays come from several sources including LG and Sharp, and has excellent visibility in sunlight, a night reading mode, and a variable refresh rate for better power efficiency.

A Snapdragon 808 processor, which also powers hardware such as the LG G4, is inside the Mi 4c and in the basic model it’s accompanied by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. Spend a little more and you get the premium version with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of memory. Apple charges $100 for a bump in storage space, but to get the 32GB Mi 4c, the cost is an extra $30.

The rear camera comes from Samsung or Sony, and has 13 megapixels, while the selfie camera has 5 megapixels. A USB Type-C reversible charging connector has been fitted, along with an interesting Edge Tap feature, where a light tap of the phone’s side will perform certain functions, such as activating the shutter release, or to go back a page in the browser. The spec list continues with 4G connectivity, dual-SIM card support, an IR blaster, and a 3080mAh battery.

Xiaomi will sell the Mi 4c in China, but hasn’t announced a release date yet.

CONTINUE TO PAGE TWO FOR ALL THE RUMORS LEADING UP TO THE XIAOMI MI4C’S OFFICIAL LAUNCH